Early assurance undergraduate partnership

The Process

The Early Assurance Undergraduate Partner pathway is a two-step process to admission at NEOMED in the College of Medicine as an M1 student. The first step consists of an undergraduate student applying to NEOMED to attain an offer of early assurance which reserves a future seat in medical school at NEOMED. This first step does not constitute an offer of admission to NEOMED. In general, the Early Assurance Undergraduate Partner pathway is designed for second year college students (sophomores) to apply. However, any student who has yet to graduate may be eligible to apply depending upon the curricular options and requirements associated with their college/university. These may vary by partner institution. The second step allows a student who has been granted early assurance to medical school the opportunity to apply for admission to claim that reserved seat. This second step is the actual process of obtaining admission to the College of Medicine at NEOMED. There are separate policies and procedures associated with each step. All Early Assurance pathways at NEOMED are binding and enforced through AMCAS. Candidates who have applied to other AAMC medical schools in addition to NEOMED at the time of Early Assurance application in AMCAS are subject to forfeiture of their early assurance.

Early Assurance is a reserved seat in medical school at NEOMED provided that candidates achieve certain milestones to claim their reserved seat. Early Assurance is not admission to medical school at NEOMED and does not “guarantee” admission at a later date. Once in the early assurance pathway, students will have the option of using early assurance to apply for admission to NEOMED for up to two years (as defined as the next two subsequent admission cycles following acceptance of early assurance).

Step 1

Applying for Early Assurance Undergraduate Partnership Pathway

Students currently enrolled at a designated NEOMED undergraduate partner institution may be eligible to apply for early assurance to NEOMED through the early assurance undergraduate pathway. Interested candidates should consult the designated pre-health/pre-medicine advisor at their college/university and review the NEOMED admission website for important procedures and deadlines during their first year of college enrollment well in advance of the application cycle. In order to be eligible for early assurance application consideration, students must meet all of the following application eligibility guidelines:

Complete at least one academic year of full-time coursework in a degree granting program of study in academic residence at a partner university.

Be enrolled at a partner college/university throughout the period of application consideration.

Show successful completion of a minimum of 20 semester hours of coursework in the subject areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and/or Math (BCPM) at the time of early assurance consideration. All graded courses must be completed with grades of “C-” or higher to count toward the 20 semester hour minimum. BCPM coursework completed at another institution may count toward the 20 semester hours if posted as transfer credit to the partner college/university transcripts. Advanced Placement and CLEP (testing by exam) credit earned may count toward the 20 semester hours if posted as BCPM course equivalent credit to the partner college/university transcripts.

Possess a minimum overall/cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher for all post secondary coursework at the time of early assurance consideration. All GPA’s are calculated using AAMC practices which includes all graded course attempts. Any institutional academic forgiveness policies are not included in early assurance GPA calculations.

Possess a minimum overall/cumulative BCPM GPA of 3.4 or higher for all post-secondary coursework in the subject areas of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math at the time of early assurance consideration. All BCPM GPA’s are calculated using AAMC practices which includes all graded course attempts. Any institutional academic forgiveness policies are not included in early assurance BCPM GPA calculations.

Possess an ACT Composite score of 26 or be enrolled in good standing in their institution’s designated honor’s college/program in lieu of that minimum ACT score. SAT results may be substituted according to the current ACT/SAT score concordance table. The ACT scores shall consist of the single best test instance (not super-scored). An eligible honor’s college/program should be available to undergraduates enrolled in all majors/programs of study in order to be recognized as institution-wide. Candidates that did not earn an ACT Composite score of 26 while in high school may re-take the ACT provided that new score is submitted by the official transcript deadline for early assurance consideration.

Complete the CASPer test with scores made available to NEOMED at the time of the official transcript deadline for early assurance consideration. Completed applications without CASPer results shall not be eligible for interview consideration for the Early Assurance Undergraduate Program. CASPer is an online test which assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening. The CASPer test is comprised of 12 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario, you will be required to answer a set of probing questions under a time contract. The test typically takes between 75-90 minutes to complete. Each response is graded by a different rater, giving a very robust and reliable view of personal and professional characteristics important to our program. No studying is required for CASPer, although you may want to familiarize yourself with the test structure at www.takeCASPer.com, and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test. Please visit www.takeCASPer.com to familiarize yourself with the American Professional Health Sciences test (CSP10101). In order to take CASPer, you will be responsible for securing access to a computer with audio capabilities, a webcam, and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date. CASPer can be taken practically anywhere that you can satisfy the aforementioned requirements. No exceptions will be provided for applicants unable to take CASPer online due to being located at sites where internet is not dependable due to technical or political factors. The associated fees for taking the CASPer test are the responsibility of the student applicant. When prompted for an ID, include your NEOMED GradCAS application ID.

Interested candidates must apply using the NEOMED early assurance application. Applicants must complete the entire application and submit all required credentials by the deadline for verification (including test results and official transcripts from all previously attended colleges.) As of the time of Compass publication the application fee is $ 95.00 payable at the time of application.

Interviews will be granted by invitation-only following application review. A successful in-person interview at NEOMED is required prior to offer of early assurance.

Selection into the Early Assurance Undergraduate pathway is via an annual selective process. Early assurance offers will be made in April with a student response due in early May.

Early Assurance to the NEOMED College of Medicine requires students enrolled at partner colleges and universities to meet specified minimum academic and professionalism requirements. All students enrolling in early assurance pathways should do so with the clear understanding that they must possess a baccalaureate degree prior and meet all pre-requisite requirements prior to matriculation into the Doctor of Medicine degree program.

Students granted acceptance in to the Early Assurance Undergraduate Pathway may elect to utilize their status of early assurance to apply for admission to NEOMED for up to two years following their acceptance of the early assurance offer in May. The two years of eligibility is defined as the two immediately subsequent admission cycles following acceptance of early assurance. At the conclusion of two academic cycles the offer of early assurance is null and void if either unused or the candidate did not meet admission standards. Unlike prior College of Medicine pathway programs that included provisional admission, early assurance does not include a committee monitored progress and promotion process, and there is no committee process to appeal a candidate’s failure to attain admission standards. Candidates should accept offers of early
assurance only with the clear understanding that they must meet or exceed all of the admission requirements to secure admission to NEOMED or they shall not be admitted to medical school at NEOMED. Candidates may not petition nor appeal for a third year of early assurance for reasons of enrichment or academic remediation of deficiencies.

Step 2

Applying for Admission to the M.D. program after acceptance into Early Assurance Undergraduate Pathway

Note: B.S./M.D. and Baccalaureate/M.D. students enrolled at undergraduate partner schools admitted into the NEOMED provisional admission pathways prior to 2018 should refer to their Committee on Academic and Professional Progress Phase 1 (CAPP Phase 1) requirements guides in effect at the time of their offer of provisional admission. The CAPP 1 requirements guide contains all continuation and promotion standards and processes still in effect for these legacy pathways. The following refers to Early Assurance pathways students who accepted offers in 2018 and beyond. Effective with Early Assurance pathway students that accepted offers of early assurance in 2018, CAPP Phase 1 will no longer monitor the retention, promotion or dismissal of partner pathway students.

Candidates granted early assurance through the Early Assurance Undergraduate pathway are required to complete the following in order to receive admission to the College of Medicine as M1 students:

Students must follow all AMCAS Early Assurance plan application procedures and deadlines.

Students must continue to attend the same undergraduate partner college/university where they were awarded early assurance. Early assurance is non-transferrable.

Early Assurance Undergraduate students must attempt the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) at least once prior to July 31 of the preceding year to be eligible for admission to NEOMED. E.g. – If a student is applying for fall 2021 admission, he or she must sit for the MCAT at least once by July 31, 2020.

Early Assurance Undergraduate students must apply for admission through AMCAS using the Early Assurance admission plan prior to the first Tuesday in September of the preceding year to be eligible for final admission to NEOMED. E.g. – If a student is applying for fall 2021 admission, he or she must apply for admission through AMCAS using the Early Assurance plan by September 1, 2020.

Early Assurance students must be on track to successfully complete all required pre-requisite courses with a grade of “C-” or better to apply for admission to NEOMED.

Early Assurance students neither re-take the CASPer test, nor do they interview at the time of application for admission to NEOMED.

Early Assurance Undergraduate admission decisions will be made by the NEOMED College of Medicine Admissions Committee in the October meeting. Candidates will receive an admission decision within two weeks.

Candidates that do not meet their early assurance admission requirements in October review will have the following two options from which to choose:

Withdraw from binding NEOMED early assurance and forfeit their reserved seat in the NEOMED College of Medicine. Their applications will be rolled into the AMCAS Regular Decision pool for consideration by other AAMC allopathic medical schools prior to the November 1 deadline. Or;

Maintain their binding NEOMED early assurance status and request a second review of their application credentials by the NEOMED College of Medicine Admissions Committee. January review must be requested by the candidate, but it is granted automatically without need for appeal. Review data may include consideration of fall semester grades improving GPA/BCPM GPA and/or new MCAT scores. All January review admission decisions are final for the admission cycle and candidates that do not meet admission standards will be denied admission for that admission cycle. Denied candidates shall not be reviewed again.

Early Assurance Undergraduate pathway candidates that choose to apply during year one of early assurance who are denied due to not meeting admission criteria may reapply for admission in year two of early assurance without penalty.

Early Assurance Undergraduate pathway students shall meet all admission criteria, or they shall not be admitted to NEOMED as M1 students. Early assurance is null and void after two admission cycles.

CONTACT

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